Fugitives Redux
by FruzzenPail
Summary: Dealing with the loss of all that he has known, Pantheon confides in an enemy to live his life as a heretic hunted by those who had had once called brother for his murder of Leona. Although he has lost much, a storm approaches from the east, and with it a new challenge for the man recovering from his fading past with a new blade at his side.


_In a cave in snowy mountains far from home. A man and woman rest in silence._

 _Stirring the flames with iron the heretic stared upon the back of the Rakkorian with eyes ever watching like the moon high above. There he stood, a quiet shadow of the proud man who once caused ripples in the dirt by simply walking along the beaten path. So respected and powerful was he. The elders knew him as the paragon. The men knew him as the artisan of war. Leona knew him as her friend._

 _Now that once great man who was often found alongside the avatar found himself on the opposite end, standing at the mouth of the cave and pondering his fate. How could this have happened? Why did this happen? He felt anger boiling in his blood. He felt the past hours swelling up in his heart and mind but failed to show any emotion. The fact was that this proud and tireless warrior felt regret. He felt sorrow and bled quiet tears as he faced away from Diana._

 _After another five minutes of the bonfire speaking alone Diana would pipe up, becoming bored with the quiet night._ "A simple thank you would suffice."

 _Silence endured._

 _Her mouth curled, the stirring turning into a deep strike before she stood gracefully and took a calm pace towards the man behind the helmet. She sighed, reaching for his helmet with one hand before being grabbed by her wrist and pinned against the cave wall with the Rakkorian growling loudly._ "Do not touch me, heretic!"

 _Despite her initial grunts, she couldn't help but release a laugh._ "Ha! So the statue speaks! For a moment I thought I took in a shadow of the so called Artisan of War!"

 _His hands came off of her, simply walking back to his spot at the mouth of the cave in quiet contemplation as he finished making peace with himself and settled on reinforcing his resolve. He peacefully approached the bonfire, quietly sitting across from the Lunari as she took her place with hands behind her back on the stone she sat on._

"Or perhaps that is how he feels." _Diana leaned forward, watching the Rakkorian looking ever so slightly to the side._ "Maybe there is a lot of grief that he carries for actions he knows he did not commit, but the sins of his actions dripped from his fingertips."

"Do not speak as though you understand, heretic."

"I saw the battle. I know what happened."

"Then hold your tongue."

"Do you grieve because you were truly her friend?" _She would ask, thinking for a moment before delivering another line to set him off._ "Or have you finally realized you were just a dog being led on a leash to your precious Sola-"

 _The Rakkorian kicked his rock off to the side as he stood and walked through the fire to grab her throat._ "Woman! Do I look to be your entertainment?!" _His grip tightened, the woman gasping for air as she punched his arm and pointed to his burning cape. The artisan stared into her eyes, thinking only of the pleasure that would come from snapping her neck in two, but then he paused. After all the war and all the service he considered his emotions and where he was now. He considered who saved his life and where he was now. He looked into her eyes and found someone who was just trying to help... or maybe it was what he wanted to believe. In his rash and angered state he was of no use to anyone, not even himself. He released her, listening to her deeply gasp and cough as he took his cape and rolled it into his hand, using his other hand to quickly isolate the fire and kill its spread._

 _There would be a silence between the two, Pantheon turning to Diana as she stared at him from the ground she lay on. The warrior grabbed her by her arm as she took his, helping her back up to her seat. Although he did not apologize, he returned to his seat, staring at the ground as the Lunari watched every movement. The way he put his rock back, even from the way he walked to the fact that he saved his cape she realized that the Rakkorian still wanted to be a Rakkorian. She realized that as he took the metal and stirred the flames idly that he wanted to go back. It must have taken so much effort not to snap her neck. It must have taken so much effort not to crack- at least not completely. This man had lost everything and yet he had not given so much as a whimper, just a few drops at the entrance as his release._

 _She stood slowly, moving around the fire and then placing herself next to him as she dropped her rock next to his. For a moment they sat there, staring at the fire as she maintained her brief distance from him._ "I remember when I was cast out." _She began, the artisan shifting his eyes over to her as she began._

"I had lived as a scholar. I studied and learned by my own hand. I pursued much knowledge and found myself immersed in every page I ever held in my hand. I always wanted to search for new things, answers to questions I had. It all came to a head when I tried to prove to the Solari that there was value in worshiping the moon. When I wore this uniform they banished me. They called me a heretic. They dismissed me without a second thought. For pursing what I wanted and for loving something they hated, they demolished my home. After I killed those elders in rage I had nowhere to go. It was leave or wait for a stronger Solari to execute me. I was lucky to have gotten away with my crime as it is. Had I not fled, I ponder if I would even be alive now. It's not all for nothing, as I've come to learn. Even if they took my home from me, I still had my beliefs and my future. So I settled into the wilderness. I continued my work and study with what I rescued from the clutches of the Solari and I've gone from there..."

 _She would place a hand on his arm, feeling his muscles tighten as she stared at him. The man turned his head, his eyes meeting hers as she spoke more._ "Life does not have to end here, Atreus. If you follow me, I will show you where to go."

 _With a pause, he looked over to her hand. By the handle he placed down the metal, bring it up to take her hand into his own. Soft, smooth, curved. Such details made him wonder if this was really the same woman who he had fought before alongside Leona... Leona..._

 _His thought was interrupted as her other hand touched his face underneath his mask, the alarmed soldier instinctively thinking of reaching for his spear, but his calmed mind deciding against it._

"It's going to be alright. Trust me."

 _Silence once more as they shared this moment in front of the fire. Silence once more as Pantheon controlled the flames burning in his blood. Silence as Diana worked her way past that cold exterior._

"Where do we begin, Diana?"


End file.
